Warm glow

 Took pictures of the boys in the winter sunshine

 
Hacked Remi in the sunshine. Cant remember when I last solo hacked him. Been hacking with one sharer or other for a while. Despite lots to see and storm after effects he was golden. He was wearing reindeer ears and tinsel. He got much admiration, and 5 people asked to stop and take his picture. He loved it. Lots of lovely comments, and people wishing us Happy Christmas. Everyone was out walking in the Boxing Day sunshine :-)

So pleased with him. He was so lovely to hack, it was a lovely sunny day,. He was my lovely chilled hacking horse. But with some v bouncy canters. Love him.  

He is turning into my comfy pair of slippers horse. Not something I would have said about him two years ago. He is good in wind / rain / dark and turning into an all round star!! 

I said to him in May 2012:

"Remi, if you arent going to be a competition dressage pony anymore, and you want a future, you had better get to grips with hacking nicely!!"  

Clearly he was listening. Though it wasn't like we didn't try hard to make him a hacking pony 2009-2012!
    


 
As for Mr. Mackingtosh - he didnt want to be caught - didnt go too far away and was running rings round me - looking v cheeky. Mac's version of tag!! Almost nudging me, then pirouetting away. Laughing at him. Brought him in and he was v wound up. Didnt like the debris, the bits of roof missing, the gap or the changes on the yard, didnt think there should be strange horses in the school. For a brave horse, he was v wound up, liquid poo etc. He grew a hand when I got on and went rigid. Did discover the has a hidden piaffe.  Did calm and settle and snort and was almost lazy. Then woke up to do some pronking in canter. Some better work and a bit more pronking. Some stretching and snorting. I was thinking had worked him through it. And led him down ramp outside school and he was back to eyes on stalks! Hmmm



 
They are stripping the fallen oak tree in the field. Mac especially. Did read the bark has sap in in that is high sugar. Maybe a link to my hysterical horse!!
Thankful for my sane and cuddly Remi. Though Mac was cuddly too. And Mac rolled and rolled and rolled when back in field. 

 

Christmas Ride!

Went for a lovely sunny Christmas ride, all suitably attired.

Remi and Rupert :-)

Love him.

Our local pub - they brought carrots out for ponies :-) and mulled wine for us :-)

Mac and Remi :-)

The two big bay rehab horses :-)

Remi :-)

Rupert, Mac and Remi :-)

Rupert, Mac and Remi :-)

Next year's Christmas card photo :-)

My lovely Reindeer!

Was a glorious oasis of sunshine before last night's wind and rain storm!

Remi video timeline - last 2 years

Remi movement timeline

In full work - does show some compromise

January 2012 http://youtu.be/3ydoWIKTGnA

Turned away
This is after a few weeks off, when at the beginning of six months field rest, for lameness in all four legs (need side to side nerve blocks to best show) 
June 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhSaIrJMSgM
 
September 2012 Barefoot and out of work for 3 months http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5L41A2_11Y
 
October 2012 Barefoot and out of work for 4 months http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klWsdMd_ZKo  


Rockley Dec 2012- March 2013
unfortunately Nic missed filming him on lunge when he arrived

10th February 2013http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RNs-upYOI

17th February 2013https://vimeo.com/59906648

17th February 2013http://vimeo.com/61261171
24th March 2013 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY4Pi0n_f7M
24th March 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjYhPOv6liM

Home from Rockley

• March 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ymEDBxOaxc
• April 2013 http://youtu.be/QsoJtguSDgg
• April 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2pZWk7J4c
• May 2013 http://youtu.be/kqCSRG3JLhU
• June 2013 http://youtu.be/CiOCmTG2oFA

Going well

• July 2013 http://youtu.be/jLYxxW9oWk4
• August 2013 http://youtu.be/KsoQLgRNOWc

Suspected SI injury 

• 19th September 2013 http://youtu.be/iegeVCiWYlQ
• 28 September 2013 http://youtu.be/8EIkOzzs1Is
• 22nd October 2013 http://youtu.be/5Kt9YfWhjw0

Shoes back on and rehabbing from SI injury

• November 2013 http://youtu.be/a64cBRbnSqg

Timeline last 18 months

Timeline last 18 months

 ·        June 2012 - Remi was turned away  (not obviously lame, until blocked different legs, then showed pain in multiple places. Alerted by loss of movement, and muscle and appetite.) Shoes off.

 

·        December 2012 – Remi to Rockley to come back into work and strengthen feet

·        25^th March 2013 - back from Rockley, stronger feet, better angles, very crooked, very tight left shoulder, fairly footy, significant deviation on right front foot. He was lame on left fore the weekend we collected him – not sure if these linked to the spasmed left shoulder or the holes in his frogs. He came with back with deep holes (could get whole hoof pick end in) in both hind frogs, these closed over next 6 weeks.

·        April to September - Progressive improvement with lots of bodywork, hacking, gymnastic work April to August.  Progressively releasing his left shoulder, and working on straightness really improved his movement.  Battling paddocking, not wanting to be stabled and grass sensitivity.  Discovering the joys of solo hacking.  

Deviation on right foot increased, before eventually starting to break off and split in late June.  Interestingly it didn’t come back and his feet started to look more normal with mostly self trimming. Some glimmers of good movement, but also lots of intermittent footyness. August included successful dressage outing and endurance ride.  

September was spectacularly downhill – weight and muscle loss despite adlib haylage, and nothing in the grass, and nothing showing on blood tests. Initially I thought bruised feet from more hacking in August, but didn’t seem to be.  He had something fairly wrong behind from early September including a loss of power.  I think possibly he slipped several times in the field and sore feet, and sore muscles.  Loss of power behind.  And consistently sore SI area that didn’t hold after bodywork.

·        28^th September – saddler makes saddle narrower as has lost muscle :-( He is generally miserable, agitated to handle, unsettled in stable.
 
·        3^rd October Vet – physio on SI and back – v sore, vet said he lacked weight and muscle (despite having adlib haylage and regular work) and was damned sore on his feet (idea being that shoes would take feet pain out of equation and investigate SI area).

·        7^th October - shoes on (Epona’s in front), instantly much brighter and happier, but little improvement in power behind.

·        23^rd October - bodywork, and little obvious improvement from previous visits.

·        Ride / lunge – still lacking power behind

·        29^th October– vet booked for nerve blocks, and to investigate SI area – Remi trots and canters on lunge looking very sound (think delayed impact of body work – held this time now feet not sore)– vet says no SI pain, stifles, hocks, suspensories look good. Given the ALL CLEAR, just weak and lacking muscle. Agree 2 steroid injections to support building muscle

·        Returns to being happy to be stabled, and lying down in the stable (having not settled in stable July to October)

·        2^nd and 18^th November– steroid injections

·        16^th November  – second shoeing – Eponas in front again, as still bruising coming out of right front foot

·        23^rd November  – thermal imaging – all clear on back and SI :-)

·        30^th November– body work, and much improved, looking sound and moving well (but lazy), SI good, left quarter and left shoulder tight

·        30^th November  – video of landing shoes landing outside first in front, and really plaiting behind, and landing flat in front, heel first behind (similar to last barefoot landings)

·        10^th December– six weeks from ALL CLEAR and he is a good weight, happy and relaxed in himself, SI not sore, and good muscle over SI, have put saddle back to the original width (medium). He is a bit stuffy and does takes sometime to warm up. But I am reminding myself it is only six weeks that his SI area has stopped being sore for, and it is December, and I know he has some multi-joint arthritis and lots of wear and tear.

Now looking to see where 6 weeks of hacking, hillwork, polework, schooling work gets us, and see where his comfort level of work is. Fingers crossed.

 

Misty mornings and field living

 

Misty morning view from the top of the boys field.

Ponies heading up for breakfast :-)

Sharing the same  bucket (even though they have a bucket each).

Posing ponies :-)

 

You looking at me?

 

 

Glorious sunny winter hacking

Saturday we took both ponies to the gallops. Remi did two laps of trot and canter and was then tiring. Remi seems to be slowly building fitness - I could really feel him tire up the hills / start to try and lean on me.

Mac did more in proper gallop, and then the both did a lap to cool down. Remi did offer an amazing extended trot as part of our cool down.

Sunday we had a sunny, relaxed hack. It was one of those glorious, cold, dry, sunny days for hacking. Ground is really good at the moment. Ponies were on good form.

 

Rolling . . . Rolling . . . Rolling

 

 

 

Remi 12th bodywork session post Rockley

www.orchardfarmequitherapy.co.uk

Email: elainemarianiesmt@btinternet.com                                                                       Mob:07815 310568

 
Remi notes 30^th November ‘13

 

Lunge session:

Remi looked really good. He was longer in frame and more relaxed through his muscles than previous visit. He was a bit reluctant and not willingly forward but even so he looked more balanced, even on left rein and generally more comfortable. Muscles were moving well.

 

http://youtu.be/a64cBRbnSqg

Palpation and massage:

He palpated sore left shoulder region – both in front of and behind scapula – subclavius and latissimus dorsi – sore left quarters especially glutes (dorsal region) and origin of hamstrings (left).

Hamstrings tight left and right.

Back muscles felt soft and released apart from small area right lumbar region.

All released off well.

 

2^nd lunge session post massage

Looked really good – looked to have put on weight! – due to releasing and relaxing muscles.

 Aftercare:

Continue with what ever you are doing – it’s working!

Video here: http://youtu.be/a64cBRbnSqg